Keeping Quiet

Keeping Quiet

                   By Pablo Neruda

 

Analysis of the poem:

§  "Keeping Quiet" by Pablo Neruda is a powerful poem that encourages readers to pause, reflect, and consider the impact of their actions on the world and on themselves.

§  Pablo Neruda is the pen name of Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto who was born in the town of Parral in Chile. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in the year 1971.

§  In this poem Neruda talks about the necessity of quiet introspection and creating a feeling of mutual understanding among human beings. The poem advocates for a moment of mindfulness and a break from the noisy, destructive patterns of human behaviour.

§  The poem is rich in language and profound in emotional content with the wonderful handling of words and expressions. It is free verse without any rhyming scheme.

§  The tone of the poem is didactic and reflective as the poet exhorts the readers to think and realise the significance of peace and quiet introspection on the validity of our actions.

§  One is clearly able to make out the theme of the poem that peaceful and quiet introspection on our actions is very important to renew and refresh the irrelevant and irrational ways and actions of human beings.

§  The poem is a free verse without any stanza division, rhyme scheme and full stop.

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 Line by Line Explanation

Now we will count to twelve

and we will all keep still.

For once on the face of the Earth

let’s not speak in any language,

let’s stop for one second,

and not move our arms so much.

‘Keeping Quiet’ by Pablo Neruda is a thought provoking poem that encourages reflection and stillness in the face of a noisy and tumultuous world. The poem starts with a call, asking the readers to do a symbolic countdown to twelve. These lines emphasise the importance of silence and stillness. The poet is suggesting that, for a moment, everyone should stop talking in any language as various languages that people speak, may create misunderstanding, miscommunication, confusion or distance. The poet is proposing a universal, non-verbal communication. We should not be involved in any action either, to prevent any sort of struggle or fight. This line reinforces the call for physical inaction and mental calm. People should pause from their frenetic activities that exhaust and frustrate and evaluate their words and actions to calculate their worth and validity, and think whether our actions are required or not.

 

It would be an exotic moment

without rush, without engines,

we would all be together

in a sudden strangeness.

The poet describes this moment of stillness as exotic and most beautiful. This quietness is way better than our usual hectic life style without any rush and noise of engines or machines that we use in our life. If we are in complete inaction, we will be together completely, and in perfect sense. Though this togetherness will be sudden and strange but sweet and pleasing he silence and stillness. Such togetherness will be strange as we have forgotten to find time and experience this togetherness due to our life of hurry and worry.

Fishermen in the cold sea

would not harm whales

and the man gathering salt

would look at his hurt hands.

The poet envisions a world where even activities that harm nature would cease in this moment of silence. The poet can foresee that this mad rush of human activities would destroy natural and environmental wealth, hence this wealth needs time to regenerate, replenish and regrow. To fulfil our needs we must not harm nature and pause to see whether we are destroying resources to the limit where nothing can be restored. We must also stop and check to ensure the quality of our life in this silence and stillness. 

Those who prepare green wars,

wars with gas, wars with fire,

victory with no survivors,

would put on clean clothes

and walk about with their brothers

in the shade, doing nothing.

The poet criticizes the war mongers and the destructive nature of wars. Green wars refer to wars against environment and wars with gases means by various ways of air pollution and wars with fire stand for use of fire arms during war. Such wars need to be stopped as even after victory in them, there is huge loss, and none is able to lead a peaceful and happy life. This pursuit of victory at any cost, doesn’t benefit anyone.  In this moment of quietness and stillness, those involved in wars would realise the importance of peace, and abandon their destructive ways and peacefully coexist with the people who are their brothers as entire earth is our family.

What I want should not be confused

with total inactivity.

Life is what it is about;

I want no truck with death.

The poet clarifies that the call for stillness is not an encouragement of total inactivity but rather a pause to reflect upon what life is, and what the purpose of our life is. We should not be confused that inactivity is being suggested here, in fact, the poet advises us to avoid unnecessary action that causes destruction and loss of life. If we can’t be productive, we mustn’t be destructive, either.

If we were not so single-minded

about keeping our lives moving,

and for once could do nothing,

perhaps a huge silence

might interrupt this sadness

of never understanding ourselves

and of threatening ourselves with death.

The poet laments humanity's relentless pursuit of progress and mad rush on the path of advancement. The silence could provide an opportunity for introspection, and allowing us to better understand ourselves as well as others. We reflect that we never tried to understand the people of our family and society at large as we trapped ourselves in the golden net of fulfilling our ambition. We need to break free from self-destructive tendencies which could destroy this world and the peace of our life as well.

Perhaps the Earth can teach us

as when everything seems dead

and later proves to be alive.

Now I’ll count up to twelve

and you keep quiet and I will go.

Nature can offer us valuable lessons in resilience and renewal, even in moments that appear lifeless. The earth takes an interval for taking a break in order to replenish itself. The earth sleeps during winter so that it spreads beauty in this world during the flowering season. Hence, we all must learn a lesson that in order to be more purposeful and more meaningful in our life and action we need to take a pause and reflect. The poem ends by completing the countdown, reiterating the call for silence and stillness.

Video on Keeping Quiet

Poetic Devices

Now we will count to twelve - Alliteration

and we will all keep still –  Alliteration, Consonance

For once on the face of the Earth – Assonance, Repetition

let’s not speak in any language – Anaphora

let’s stop for one second – Anaphora, Assonance

without rush, without engines – Repetition, symbolism  

we would all be together – Alliteration

in a sudden strangeness – Consonance, Alliteration, Oxymoron

Fishermen in the cold sea – Imagery

would not harm whales – Imagery

and the man gathering salt – Assonance, Imagery

would look at his hurt hands – Alliteration, Consonance, Imagery

Those who prepare green wars – Metaphor, symbolism

wars with gas, wars with fire – Metaphor, Repetition, Symbolism  

victory with no survivors – Irony, Assonance

would put on clean clothes – Consonance, Metaphor, Alliteration

and walk about with their brothers – Alliteration

in the shade, doing nothing. – Assonance, Consonance

What I want should not be confused – Assonance, Consonance

with total inactivity. – Enjambment

Life is what it is about; - Aphorism

I want no truck with death – Metaphor

If we were not so single-minded – Alliteration, Assonance

about keeping our lives moving – Assonance, Consonance

might interrupt this sadness - Consonance

of never understanding ourselves - Enjambment

Perhaps the Earth can teach us – Assonance, Personification

as when everything seems dead – Personification

and later proves to be alive – Contrast

Now I’ll count up to twelve – Refrain

and you keep quiet and I will go – Repetition Apostrophe

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Theme

The poem conveys the theme that life is not worth wasting in hurry and worry and thoughtless action, rather thinking on the things and actions of more moment. The description of wars and natural activities brings out the theme that nature teaches us countless lessons about how and when to pause. 

Message

This poem conveys the significance of quiet introspection and creating a feeling of mutual understanding among human beings. The poet advocates for a moment of mindfulness and a break from the noisy and destructive patterns of human behaviour. Beautiful earth also teaches us giving an example of taking a break to yield beautiful results and   makes us ponder over our futile needless worries.

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Important Question Answers

Q1. What will counting upto twelve and keeping still help us achieve?

Ans. According to the poet, counting upto twelve and keeping still would help us achieve peace, resistance and self control. It will also help us introspect on the things that we do and ponder over the reasons why we do a thing so that we take wise decisions and careful and responsible actions.

Q2. Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death?

Ans. No, the poet does not advocate total inactivity and death. He only advises us to take a pause and ponder over ourselves and our thoughts, and our actions and reactions. This pause will help evaluate so that we may begin afresh for the better decision, more profitable actions and energised spirit.

Q3. What symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent stillness?

Ans. The poet uses a very beautiful example from Nature to illustrate and invoke the idea that there can be life under apparent stillness. He used earth as the symbol to justify the earth sleeps or remains inactive during the winter so that it may blossom beyond boundaries during the spring.